AP PhotoMaurie Morris has 92 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries in the past two games combined for Detroit.

ALLEN PARK -- One run can change the perception of an entire game.

Detroit Lions rookie running back Jahvid Best had a 45-yard run against the Bears last week that helped change the view of Detroit's rushing attack for the entire game.

With the run, the Lions finished with 134 rushing yards, their largest total of the season. Without it, they would have finished with just 89 yards on the ground, and the criticisms of the running game would have surfaced again.

With Best's run, the Lions averaged 5.0 yards per carry against Chicago. Without it, the average dips to 3.4 yards per attempt.

"When you look at teams that run the ball a lot, you get one yard here, three yards there and, then, you get those big ones that get your average up," said Lions guard Stephen Peterman.

"You've got to hit a couple of big ones a game," said left guard Rob Sims. "We've been playing really good defenses and you're going to need to get that big one to get your average up. I think it helped us in the game because we had a drive that was two plays. That helps."

On Best's big run, the Lions had the ball on their own 9-yard line with 53 seconds remaining in the first half. They gave the ball to Best on a basic dive play, hoping to pop one.

Best was stuffed in the middle of the line, but the Bears couldn't grab him. Best backed out of the scrum and raced around the right end for the 45 yards. The Lions scored a touchdown on the next play on a 46-yard pass from Drew Stanton to Calvin Johnson.

The Lions hadn't topped 78 rushing yards in the four games prior to the Thanksgiving Day game -- when they had a then-high of 129 yards. And they topped that against the Bears.

In addition to good blocking, there are two other factors: The addition of veteran Maurice Morris into the lineup and the increasing health of Best, who has battled turf toe injuries.

"Our running backs have played unbelievable the last two weeks. They've been running hard and hitting the holes that are there, and Maurice Morris has done a great job stepping in there. Best did a great job this game," Peterman said. "On that one play, it doesn't look like you're going to get anything and he comes out of there and changes the game around before halftime. Those guys played great this week."

"That one (Best) broke down the sideline, it wasn't us; it was him. That's Jahvid," Sims said. "I think we had a hat on a hat but, ultimately, he's got to make the play and he did."

Morris started the season as the No. 3 back, but he finally is playing after Best was limited and Kevin Smith went on injured reserve with a thumb injury. Morris has 92 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries in the past two games combined.

"It's nice of them to say that, but I tip my hat to those guys because they're busting their (butts), and they've been doing a really good job the last couple of weeks," Morris said. "It's all them; we're just getting the ball and running hard. They're making it happen."

Morris' style is pretty basic: He builds to top speed pretty quickly and he never throttles down. He doesn't dance and juke in the hole, he just pumps his legs right through it.

"Those holes are there -- they're little-bitty holes and they close up pretty fast, so you've got to hit them fast. Our guys have done a good job of hitting them fast," Peterman said.

Morris said it is best to keep it simple.

"You've got to get upfield," Morris said. "There isn't time to dance in the backfield, not when you've got guys like Julius Peppers who are 290 pounds and run a 4.5. You've got to get upfield and get as many yards as you can.

"We're heading toward a positive point as far as yards, but it's not really the running game, it's the offense in general. We need to have the attitude -- whether we're running the ball or passing it -- that we need to go out there and get it done."﻿